Ryo Hirakawa is frustrated after qualifying in Mexico: he could have “easily” made it through to Q2 if

Ocon’s replacement, Ryo Hirakawa, is frustrated at a missed opportunity in his first Formula 1 qualifying session in Mexico: making it through to Q2 would have been “easy” if …

“I could easily have made it into Q2,” says a frustrated Ryo Hirakawa, reflecting on his first Formula 1 qualifying session. The Japanese driver, who is standing in for Esteban Ocon at Haas for the Mexican Grand Prix, could not manage better than 19th on the grid.

“That’s a real, real shame for me,” says the 32-year-old, who is convinced that a better result would have been possible. In the first sector, Hirakawa set his personal best time and was on course to challenge Carlos Sainz for a place in Q2.

However, in the fast corners of the second sector, the Haas driver initially ran into Alex Albon’s Williams, losing valuable time as a result. In the final section of his lap, the Japanese driver was also held up by Franco Colapinto in the Alpine.

“From Turn 6 onwards, and also in the high-speed sections, I had traffic. That caused me to lose a lot of downforce,” explains Hirakawa. In the end, he was around half a second off 16th place. “Still, it’s nice to be here, so I can’t complain too much.”

Hirakawa admits: Friday’s session was “very valuable”

Although Hirakawa was already out on track in the first free practice session on Friday, the last-minute call-up was anything but easy for the Japanese driver. “This experience was very valuable,” he says. “In the third free practice session, I didn’t have to start from scratch. That’s why I don’t think it was all that difficult for me.”

However, the Haas driver spent most of the third free practice session preparing for qualifying. Consequently, there are still a few unknowns for him ahead of Sunday’s race – such as the pit stop. “I actually tried to pull into the pits at the start of the third free practice session.”

“But it will be different under race conditions,” says Hirakawa, who is set to make his Formula 1 race debut on Sunday. “I still think I should be prepared for it, though.” For now, his focus is on getting off to a good start and getting through the first corner cleanly.

Ryo Hirakawa isn’t thinking about Brazil just yet

The Haas driver, however, isn’t thinking about the upcoming race weekend just yet. At the Brazilian Grand Prix, Hirakawa would actually be racing for Toyota in the season finale of the World Endurance Championship, where he is still fighting for his third world title.

Together with his Toyota team-mates Sébastien Buemi and Brendon Hartley, Hirakawa leads the world championship standings in the No. 8 Toyota. Their lead over the sister car, number 7, driven by Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries, stands at 25 points.

Hirakawa, however, doesn’t want to hear any of it. “I’m just focusing on tomorrow,” emphasises the Japanese driver. “There’s nothing to discuss about next week. Let’s see what we [am Sonntag] can achieve. There are lots of new things for me, so I just have to put them into practice and do my best.”

Rafael Camara could also take the wheel in a Formula 1 car this coming weekend. The Brazilian will race for Haas in 2027 and could make his Formula 1 debut at his home race in São Paulo, of all places. However, Camara will still be competing in Formula 2 at the races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. It also remains to be seen whether Ocon will return to the cockpit.